Asset Protection Railing

ABSTRACT

A railing system. The system comprises a first rail comprising an axis and a second rail comprising an axis. The system also comprises a mechanism for coupling the first rail to the second rail in a co-axial configuration, a first leg slidably attached to the first rail, and a second leg slidably attached to the second rail. The first leg and the second leg are for supporting the first and second rails at a distance away from a surface.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to, the benefit of the filing date of,and hereby incorporates herein by reference, U.S. Provisional PatentApplication 60/842,922, entitled “Asset Protection Railing,” and filedSep. 7, 2006.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present embodiments relate to railing and are more particularlydirected to railing that may be mounted to protect nearby assets fromdamage that may be caused without the protection provided by therailing.

Protective railing is used in various environments, with consumershopping areas being a key example. In these environments such asstores, rails are often affixed to the ground near an item to beprotected by the rail. For example, in a grocery or other store, often arail is affixed to the ground several inches from and relativelyparallel to the bottom edge of a refrigerated case or other structurethat will benefit by a barrier mounted near the floor and adjacent thecase. As a result, if a consumer approaches the refrigerated case with agrocery cart, the cart will make contact with the rail rather than thecase, thereby protecting the case from damage. Indeed, even greaterdamage could be inflicted on such a case by machinery in the store, suchas those devices used to move stock into the store (e.g., hand pulled ormotorized pallet mover); again, however, the rail provides a buffer areaand barrier to prevent such a device from making contact with the case.As a result, the case, which may be substantially expensive to repair orreplace, is protected from damage. Protective railing may be used inother locations and in other forms. For example, the rear area of astore, which typically is not frequented by consumers but is used forstock and for shipping and delivery, may include various items that alsorequire protection of the type described above. These areas of the storemay tend to be less appealing in terms of aesthetics, but may requireequal if not stronger safety protection. Indeed, movement of stock orother items tends to be more prevalent, with lesser caution, and oftenof greater loads in these areas and, thus, protection railing may beused in such areas as well.

Protection railing in the prior art takes various forms, but for sake ofcontrast with numerous inventive aspects described later a certaintypical implementation is now described. Consider an instance where astore includes a refrigerated case with a generally rectangularperimeter that is 32 feet long and 8 feet wide. In the prior art,typically posts, also referred to as bollards, are installed near eachof the four corners of the case. For example, each such post is six feetin length and four inches in diameter and is installed by forming a twofoot deep hole in the ground near the corner of the case, and the postis then affixed (e.g., cemented) into the hole so that four feet of thepost extends vertically from the ground. In this manner, therefore,there can be one such post, for a total of four, nearby each respectivecorner of the refrigerated case. Thus, these posts protect the cornersof the case, while railing is then used to protect the length and widthof the case as between the posts, as discussed below.

In the prior art, typically a store orders railing for use between theposts discussed above based on the distance remaining between the posts.Thus, in the scenario above, if each of the four corner posts isprecisely located as described, there may be 32 feet along both lengthdimensions of the case and between the posts and 8 feet along both widthdimensions of the case and between the posts (assuming the posts aremounted outward of the corners of the case at a certain distance). As aresult, typically the store will order sets of railing for each of thesedimensions, that is, two sets to extend 32 feet or less and two sets toextend 8 feet or less. In response, a manufacturer of the railing willat its facility cut steel or aluminum tubing or pipe to extend theselengths and ship the resultant railing to the store for installation.Note that for lengthy spans, such as 8 or 10 feet or greater, typicallythe manufacturer will cut multiple pieces, usually of the same length.Thus, for the 32 foot span described above, the manufacturer may cut 4lengths of rails, each being 7 feet 10 inches. Moreover, note that theprior art manufacturer often welds fixed position lengths extendingperpendicularly from the rail to serve as legs for installation. Thus,when these pipes arrive at the store, each 7 foot 10 inch length isinstalled by mounting its legs to the floor, with a few inch gap betweenit and the next adjacent 7 foot 10 inch length, thereby filling most ofthe 32 feet between the posts mounted at the corners along the 32 footlength span of the refrigerated case. Similarly, a single such rail maybe mounted to span the 8 foot span along the width of the refrigeratedcase.

While the preceding represents a common prior art approach for floormounted railing, the present inventor has observed numerous drawbacks ofthat art. For example, the preceding example assumes that each of thefour corner posts is precisely and symmetrically located with respect toan adjacent corner of the refrigerated case. Naturally, in a typicalimplementation, factors such as human error may cause the posts to beasymmetrically located. Thus, instead of having two 32 foot spans alongthe case length between posts and two 8 foot spans along the case widthbetween the posts, there could be differences of one or even severalinches. Thus, the store is left to measure each such distance and thenrequire the manufacturer to custom cut pipes for each potentiallydifferent span. This is quite inefficient and also may require multipleiterations if the store's measurements are inaccurate, if the cuts madeat a distant location are inaccurate, or if the measurements are notmade and symmetry between the posts is assumed and later found not to bethe case. The prior art suffers other drawbacks as well. As anotherexample of such a drawback, for lengthy spans such as the 32 footexample above, as mentioned that span typically is covered by installingnumerous smaller length pipes/rails with gaps between each rail. At theends of each such pipe, often a plastic cap is attached for safetyand/or aesthetics. Thus, where there are four rails, and with each railhaving a cap at each of its two ends, there are a total of eight caps,with each cap posing a potential problem. For example, any such cap maybe removed by a curious person or otherwise become detached, such asfrom routine impacts with the rail. Once a cap is off, the rail end isexposed, which some people find unappealing in look and it also maypresent a potential safety hazard. As still another example of adrawback, the welded legs used for mounting the railing to the floor inthe prior art also require a certain amount of precision ininstallation, that is, the holes cut in the floor for each leg must bethe same distance apart as the legs themselves. The need for suchprecision increases the time for installation and increases the chanceof error, with additional time lost in correcting the error andpotentially an unsightly result. Still other drawbacks will beascertainable by one skilled in the art.

Thus, while the preceding approach has useful application, the presentinventor has discovered that it may be improved upon. Such improvementsare borne out in the preferred embodiments, as discussed below.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one preferred embodiment, there is a railing system. The systemcomprises a first rail comprising an axis and a second rail comprisingan axis. The system also comprises a mechanism for coupling the firstrail to the second rail in a co-axial configuration, a first legslidably attached to the first rail, and a second leg slidably attachedto the second rail. The first leg and the second leg are for supportingthe first and second rails at a distance away from a surface.

Other embodiments and aspects are also disclosed and claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 illustrates an inventive railing system with rails, legs, and areceptacle floor mount for coupling the legs and rails to a surface,such as the ground.

FIG. 2 illustrates the receptacle floor mount of FIG. 1 in greaterdetail, including a hollow receptacle portion and a rubber anchor thatencircles a portion of the length of the receptacle.

FIG. 3 illustrates the leg and cuff of FIG. 1 in greater detail,including the slidable relationship of the inner diameter of the cuffalong the outer diameter of the rail.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative cuff per another embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates a first and second rail for coupling to one anotherwith both a protrusion extending from a first rail and having an outerdiameter smaller than the inner diameter of the second rail and a collarattached to the first rail and with an inner diameter greater than theouter diameter of the second rail.

FIG. 6 illustrates a metal plug for connecting into the end of a rail.

FIGS. 7 a and 7 b illustrate an alternative preferred embodiment whereeach rail has a cuff that slides over a respective member, such as apost, to retain the rails in a fixed relationship relative to the postsand the surface to which the posts are connected.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of an implementation of a rail system perthe preferred embodiment and affixed relative to the ground and arefrigeration case, such as may be implemented in a grocery departmentor store.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates various inventive aspects that may be used in anoverall inventive railing system indicated generally at 10. By way ofintroduction, system 10 includes a male rail 20 and a female rail 30that may be fitted to one another as detailed later to provide acontinuous rail structure for purposes such as protecting assets asdescribed above in the Background Of The Invention section of thisdocument. Male rail 20 includes a cylindrical rail 20 _(CL) and a leg 20_(LG) that extends generally perpendicular from cylindrical rail 20_(CL). Similarly, female rail 30 includes a cylindrical rail 30 _(CL)and a leg 30 _(LG) that extends generally perpendicular from cylindricalrail 30 _(CL). The bottom tips 20 _(TP) and 30 _(TP) of both legs 20_(LG) and 30 _(LG), respectively, may be affixed to the ground bycoupling it to a respective floor mount of the type shown by a singlefloor mount 40 in FIG. 1, once such a once floor mount 40 for each suchtip is located in the ground. Numerous other details about male rail 20,female rail 30, and floor mount 40 are discussed below.

Turning now to cylindrical rails 20 _(CL) and 30 _(CL) in FIG. 1 and ingreater detail in the preferred embodiment, they are hollow cylindersconstructed of steel and more preferably of refrigeration gradestainless steel, so as to resist rust, corrosion, and the like undervarious conditions. Further, preferably both cylindrical rails 20 _(CL)and 30 _(CL) have a same outer diameter, which by way of example is 2inches. However, looking more precisely to male rail 20, it furtherincludes a protrusion 20 _(PT), extending from an end 20 _(E) of therail. In the preferred embodiment, protrusion 20 _(PT) is a separatecylinder (hollow or solid) that fits within and is affixed to the innerdiameter of cylindrical rail 20 _(CL), where the affixation may be byway of welding or other manner ascertainable by one skilled in the art.Further, the length of protrusion 20 _(PT) extending from end 20 _(E) ispreferably the same length to which protrusion 20 _(PT) extends withincylindrical rail 20 _(CL); of course, in the perspective of FIG. 1, thisextension of protrusion 20 _(PT) within cylindrical rail 20 _(CL) isshown by way of dashed lines. Thus, for sake of example, assume in FIG.1 that protrusion 20 _(PT) extends 6 inches externally from cylindricalrail 20 _(CL) and, thus, those 6 inches of protrusion 20 _(PT) arevisible in the perspective of FIG. 1; likewise, therefore, protrusion 20_(PT) also extends 6 inches within cylindrical rail 20 _(CL).

Looking to legs 20 _(LG) and 30 _(LG) in the preferred embodiments inFIG. 1 and in greater detail, they are preferably constructed of thesame material as cylindrical rails 20 _(CL) and 30 _(CL) (e.g.,refrigeration grade stainless steel). Thus, legs 20 _(LG) and 30 _(LG)match in strength, properties, and visual appearance with cylindricalrails 20 _(CL) and 30 _(CL). Legs 20 _(LG) and 30 _(LG) are the same inconstruction and, thus, attention is directed to leg 20 _(LG) with theunderstanding that the following applies equally to leg 30 _(LG). Let 20_(LG) is formed to include a hollow cuff 20 _(CF) and a support 20_(ST), where these two are fixed perpendicular to one another,preferably by welding or the like. Cuff 20 _(CF) has a cylindrical innerdiameter sized so as to be slidable along the outer diameter ofcylindrical rail 20 _(CL); thus, in the example above where the outerdiameter of cylindrical rail 20 _(CL) is 2 inches, then the innerdiameter of cuff 20 _(CF) may be approximately 2.18 inches. As a result,leg 20 _(LG) may be positioned as shown in FIG. 1 by sliding cuff 20_(CF) onto the extreme end 20 _(EE) of protrusion 20 _(PT) and thenmoving cuff 20 _(CF) axially along cylindrical rail 20 _(CL) to theposition shown in FIG. 1. Cuff 20 _(CF) has a width W₁ of 3 inches inthe axial direction of cylindrical rail 20 _(CL), and as detailed latercuff 20 _(CF), once positioned as desired, may be fixed in positionrelative to cylindrical rail 20 _(CL) by way of a set screw 20 _(SS) orset screws such as those with an allen wrench head. Moreover, note theouter diameter of cuff 20 _(CF) may be generally uniform or,alternatively as shown in FIG. 1, the diameter of cuff 20 _(CF) may belarger toward its middle and taper downward to the outer length of thecuff. In any event, once cuff 20 _(CF) is so fixed in position, thensupport 20 _(ST) provides a support to cuff 20 _(CF) and, thus,necessarily also provides a support to cylindrical rail 20 _(CL) andprotrusion 20 _(PT). Also in this regard, support 20 _(ST) may be of anydesired length, where in the example herein support 20 _(ST) is 8 incheslongs.

Looking to floor mount 40 in FIG. 1 and in greater detail, it includestwo pieces, namely, a flanged receptacle 40 _(FR) and an anchor 40_(AN), as are also shown in a different perspective and separated inFIG. 2. Indeed, as shown in greater detail in FIG. 2, flanged receptacle40 _(FR) has a flange 40 _(FL) at one end and a hollow receptacle 40_(RC) extending away from that flange 40 _(FL). Thus, returning brieflyto FIG. 1, the open end of hollow receptacle 40 _(RC) is for receivingtip 20 _(TP) or tip 30 _(TP) of a leg 20 _(LG) or 30 _(LG), once floormount 40 is mounted into the floor (or ground, or other structure), asdetailed later. Toward this end, therefore, the diameter of the hole inflange 40 _(FL) and, thus, the inner diameter of receptacle 40 _(RC) issized to receive the outer diameter of either leg 20 _(LG) or 30 _(LG).Thus, by way of example, the outer diameter of either leg 20 _(LG) or 30_(LG) may be 0.75 inches, in which case the inner diameter of receptacle40 _(RC) is 0.78 inches. Returning to FIG. 2, anchor 40 _(AN) preferablyis formed of rubber and is generally a cylindrical piece of rubber withan inner diameter sized to force-fit slide over the outer diameter ofreceptacle 40 _(FR); thus, the inner diameter of anchor 40 _(AN) may beapproximately 0.823 inches. Further, a number of ribs 40 _(AR) areaxially oriented around the outer circumference of anchor 40 _(AN), withthe example of FIG. 2 illustrating eight such ribs, and such ribs maytherefore effectively extend the outer diameter of anchor 40 _(AN) toapproximately 0.90 inches. Lastly, in the preferred embodiment, thelength L₁ of anchor 40 _(AN) is preferably shorter than the length L₂ ofreceptacle 40 _(RC), where by example length L₁ may be 2.25 inches whilelength L₂ may be 2.625 inches. This relationship of lengths avoidsbottlenecking of anchor 40 _(AN) around receptacle 40 _(RC) duringinstallation, as detailed later.

The installation of system 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is now described, withthe installed product shown in FIG. 3. In the preferred embodiment, aninstaller determines the total desired length of a rail. For example,assume that the installer desires a rail that spans 15 feet 6 inches.Toward this end, the installer obtains a male rail 20 and a female rail30 with combined cylindrical rail lengths 20 _(CL) and 30 _(CL) thatinitially exceed the desired span. For example, the installer in thepresent example may obtain a male rail 20 of a standard length, such aswith its cylindrical rail 20 _(CL) of 8 feet (and its protrusion 20_(PT) extending 6 inches beyond that 8 feet) and a female rail 30 of astandard length, such as with its cylindrical rail 30 _(CL) of 8 feet.Next, the installer cuts female rail 30 to a length so that itscylindrical rail 30 _(CL), when combined with the cylindrical rail 20_(CL) of male rail 20, will total the entire desired span. Thus, in thepresent example wherein the desired span is 15 feet 6 inches, thencylindrical rail 30 _(CL) of female 30 is cut to a length of 7 feet 6inches, so that it may be combined with the standard 8 foot length ofcylindrical rail 20 _(CL) of male rail 20 so as to span 15 feet 6inches. Note than any appropriate cutting device may be used given thematerial used to form female rail 30, where in the preferred embodimentwhen that material is steel then examples of an appropriate cuttingdevice would be a hot saw or carbide diamond tip blade. Once female rail30 is cut to the desired length, then the hollow end 30 _(E) of femalerail 30 is positioned to fit around, and slid toward, protrusion 20_(PT) of male rail 20; thus, the outer diameter of protrusion 20 _(PT)fits within the inner diameter of female rail 30. Female rail 30 andmale rail 20 are then pushed together until end 20 _(E) of cylindricalrail 20 _(CL) contacts end 30 _(E) of cylindrical rail 30 _(CL). Thus,at this point protrusion 20 _(PT) is entirely encased and no longervisible, as it resides inside female rail 30. Moreover, with the cuttingdescribed above, then at this point cylindrical rail 20 _(CL) andcylindrical rail 30 _(CL) combine to form a continuous rail of length 15feet 6 inches, that is, the longitudinal axis of each cylindrical railis co-linear to form a single line spanning 15 feet 6 inches. Stillfurther, because both of cuff 20 _(CF) and cuff 30 _(CF) are slidablealong the outer diameter of the respective cylindrical rail 20 _(CL) andcylindrical rail 30 _(CL), then either cuff may be slid to cover theinterface that exists where ends 20 _(E) and 30 _(E) meet. Toward thisend, note in FIG. 3 that a single cuff X_(CF) is shown and it is to beunderstood that cuff X_(CF) is covering an interface in this manner,where to illustrate this covering aspect in FIG. 3 an interface is shownby way of a dashed line where ends 20 _(E) and 30 _(E) meet. In additionand as detailed later, the preferred embodiments include otheralternatives for a cuff to cover the interface between two rails,whether both are female rails or one is male and one is female, as alsodiscussed later.

FIG. 3 also illustrates the result of system 10 after the installationof a leg X_(LG) into a ground surface GS, where leg X_(LG) may representeither leg 20 _(LG) or leg 30 _(LG) from FIG. 1. In the preferredembodiment and to accomplish this installation, first a hole is formedin ground surface GS, where the diameter and length of that hole is toaccommodate floor mount 40, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, where anchor40 _(AN) is 0.823 inches in diameter, then a hole of 1.0 inch indiameter is formed in ground surface GS. Next, anchor 40 _(AN) ispositioned around the lower portion of flanged receptacle 40 _(FR) andpreferably the combination is force fitted into the hole in groundsurface GS, such as by use of a rubber mallet or the like. Alternativelyor additionally, an adhesive may be used in this regard, but thepreferred pieces of mount 40 permit the advantageous elimination of suchadhesives in various installations. Particularly, as mount 40 is driveninto ground surface GS, anchor 40 _(AN) and the ribs 40 _(AR) thereonwill friction fit into the ground hole while also creating retainingforce against the outer diameter of frame receptacle 40 _(FR). Thus, inthis manner, mount 40 is retained firmly within ground surface GS, andindeed may remain in the ground without the use of an adhesive.Moreover, because anchor 40 _(AN) is shorter in length than flangedreceptacle 40 _(FR), then anchor 40 _(AN) is able to move and compresssufficiently so as to avoid bottlenecking of the rubber where if suchbottlenecking were otherwise to occur it could cause mount 40 to notseat satisfactorily within the ground. In any event, once mount 40 is inthe ground, the bottom tip (e.g., 20 _(TP) or 30 _(TP) in FIG. 1) of legX_(LG) is inserted into the hollow end of flange 40 _(FL), therebyextending into the length of flanged receptacle 40 _(FR). Here again,with the preferred outer diameter of leg X_(LG) sized relative to thepreferred inner diameter of flanged receptacle 40 _(FR), then thefitting relationship between the two may be maintained without the useof adhesives, where in an alternative embodiment such a relationship maybe further maintained with an adhesive if desired. In any event, onceleg X_(LG) is so positioned, then it provides support to its respectivecuff X_(CF), thereby further supporting both male rail 20 and femalerail 30, as shown in the final result of FIG. 3.

Before proceeding with additional inventive aspects, variousobservations are now noteworthy with respect to benefits provided bysystem 10 as has thus far been described and in contrast to the priorart. Specifically, the Background Of The Invention section of thisdocument describes various drawbacks of the prior art, specificallyincluding: (i) the use of separate rails with gaps between them forspans beyond a certain distance; (ii) the use of fixed legs; and (iii)the troubles that arise when dimensions are not as expected, such asbetween asymmetrically located posts. The preferred embodimentseliminate each of these issues. First, with the connection of a male andfemale rail, a continuous metal rail is provided in that there is no gapas between one rail and the next, since protrusion 20 _(PT) couples malerail 20 and female rail 30. Thus, unlike the prior art, there is greaterstructural integrity along a lengthy span, and arguably aesthetics arelikewise improved in that there are no visible interruptions from onerail to the next in a linear dimension. Further, the preferredembodiment includes legs that are slidable in the axial direction withrespect to the rails, thereby permitting the covering of rail interfacesas described above and/or alternatively permitting legs to be moved tovarious locations along the rail so as to permit the installation of thelegs into a ground surface at different locations. Lastly and perhapsmost importantly in terms of economics, complexity, and customization,the preferred embodiment provides great latitude for on-sightinstallation while accommodating varying spans as may be incurred at thelocation desiring the installation. For example, in the instance wheremale rail 20 and female rail 30 are both 8 feet in length, note thatfemale rail 30 may be cut down to a size anywhere from 6 inches to 8feet in length. Thus, in combination with the 8 foot male rail 20, thetwo provide a span of anywhere between 8.5 feet and 16 feet as may beachieved on site with the teachings of this document as well asinstallation details provided later. Still further, more than two railsmay be coupled in this manner, where for example a rail may include amale end and a female end, whereby successive ones of such rails may becoupled together with the male end of one such rail connected to thefemale end of a next rail, where the male end of that female-containingrail is coupled to a next rail, and so forth where the last coupled railrequires only female ends. Alternatively, and for example to reduce costin using multiple rails where each has both a male and female end, thenone rail with one male end and one female end can be combined withmultiple rails each having two female ends, whereby the cut to ensurethe desired length of the entirety of the span of the rails is made toonly one female and where one female rail end may be located touching ornear a different female rail end, where both such ends are positionedclose to one another or touching within the interior of a cuff forpurposes of rigidity and aesthetics. These aspects are in stark contrastto the manner of the prior art where on site measurements must be madeand conveyed to a manufacturer, then materials are shipped, and then theshipped materials must be matched to the specific location of themeasurements and installed only in that area. Clearly, therefore, thepreferred embodiments provide numerous advantages.

FIG. 4 illustrates system 10 of FIG. 1 with an alternative cuff 50 _(CF)that also may be used in a preferred embodiment. Particularly, in oneembodiment, in the axial direction of rails 20 and 30, cuff 50 _(CF) hasthe same shape and inner and outer dimensions as cuff 20 _(CF) (or cuff30 _(CF)) of FIG. 1, although a distinction is that cuff 50 _(CF) doesnot include a leg or other perpendicular extension. Moreover, also in apreferred embodiment, the width W₂ of cuff 50 _(CF) in the axiallydirection relative to rails 20 and 30 may be shorter than width W₁ ofcuff 20 _(CF) (or cuff 30 _(CF)). Thus, for example, width W₂ ispreferably 1 to 2 inches. In any event, in installation, initially cuff50 _(CF) is slid over cylindrical rail 20 _(CL) (or cylindrical rail 30_(CL)) and thereafter protrusion 20 _(PT) is inserted fully into end 30_(E) of female rail 30 and ends 30 _(E) and 20 _(E) are brought tocontact one another; thereafter, cuff 50 _(CF) is preferably slid overthe interface that thereby results at ends 30 _(E) and 20 _(E) toprevent exposure of that interface. Moreover, once cuff 50 _(CF) is sopositioned, it may be affixed in this position relative to the interfaceby tightening a set screw 50 _(SS). In any event, therefore, any risk ofinjury as well as any undesirable aesthetic association from thatinterface is prevented by covering that interface from external contact.Thus, cuff 50 _(CF) provides various of the same functions as cuff 20_(CF) (or cuff 30 _(CF)), but does so without the addition of aprotruding leg and may be less noticeable given the lack of that leg andthe preferable reduction of width W₂ as compared to width W₁.

Further in connection with FIG. 4, note that certain additionalmodifications may be made to cuff 50 _(CF). For example, cuffs 20 _(CF)and 30 _(CF) in FIG. 1 are shown to have a changing outer diameterwhereby that diameter is larger toward the cuff middle and tapersdownward to smaller diameters in the direction toward the outer lengthof the cuff. In contrast, cuff 50 _(CF) may be made with a uniform outerdiameter. In addition, also in a preferred embodiment, an annular ringmay be fixed inside the inner cylindrical diameter of the cuff 50 _(CF)and with the ring having a slightly smaller diameter than the cylinderinner diameter. As a result, the annular ring provides a stop wheneither end 20 _(E) or 30 _(E) is inserted inside the cuff, that is, eachsuch end will only penetrate just short of half the axial length of theinterior of cuff 50 _(CF) and then make contact with the ring, therebykeeping the cuff and cylindrical rail fixed relative to one another andalso, if desired, eliminating the need for any type of set screwadjustment.

FIG. 5 illustrates system 10 of FIG. 1 with an alternative cuff 60 _(CF)that also may be used in a preferred embodiment. Preferably cuff 60_(CF) has the same dimensions as cuff 50 _(CF) of FIG. 4. However, incontrast, cuff 60 _(CF) is affixed in the position illustrated in FIG. 5at the time of manufacture, such as via welding or the like. Thus, inthe preferred embodiment and as shown in FIG. 5, cuff 60 _(CF) isaffixed so that its inner diameter covers edge 20 _(E) of cylindricalrail 20 _(CL) before rails 20 and 30 are brought together. Further, cuff60 _(CF) will similarly cover edge 30 _(E) of cylindrical rail 30 _(CL)once cylindrical rail 30 _(CL) is slid over protrusion 20 _(PT) to bringedges 20 _(E) and 30 _(E) toward, and preferably in contact, with oneanother. Thus, unlike cuff 50 _(CF) which leaves to the installer theresponsibility of sliding that cuff into an appropriate position over aninterface and possibly the fastening of one or more set screws 50 _(SS),cuff 60 _(CF) is pre-positioned and physically fixed in the mannerillustrated in FIG. 5 and thereby avoids additional work by theinstaller and also eliminates the possibility of the installer failingto include a cuff that would otherwise cover an interface between twojoined rails.

FIG. 6 illustrates another aspect of the preferred embodiment system 10of the preceding Figures. Specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates a terminalend TE of either cylindrical rail 20 _(CL) or cylindrical rail 30 _(CL)and at the opposite ends of each rail as compared to the ends 20 _(E)and 30 _(E) that are joined together. In the preferred embodiment, atthat opposite end TE of each such rail is a rounded metal plug 10 _(PG).In the preferred embodiment, plug 10 _(PG) is formed of a same type ofmetal as cylindrical rails 20 _(CL) and 30 _(CL) and is affixed to therespective rail end via welding. Thus, unlike the prior art where arubber or other soft material is used to plug a rail and is often doneso in screw or plug-in type fashion, the preferred embodiment includesan approach with a more permanent affixation of the plug, which providesfor a more sturdy, safe, and longer-lasting result. In addition, recallthat the preferred embodiment permits a male and female rail to bejoined to span a greater distance than could be provided by eithersingular rail, and that span is continuous with only one open end foreach rail (the other ends being coupled). Each such open end representsa terminal end TE as in FIG. 6 and preferably is enclosed by a plug 10_(PG). Thus, unlike the prior art where each rail has a gap between itand the next rail and, therefore, also has two plugs per each rail, thepreferred embodiment provides for multiple rails in a continuous spanwith no gaps between these rails and only plugs at each end of the span.

FIGS. 7 a and 7 b illustrate a system 100 as an additional inventivepreferred embodiment and that shares certain aspects with embodimentsdescribed above. System 100 is for use in connection with two (or more)posts 110 _(P1) and 110 _(P2), also sometimes referred to in certainarchitectures as bollards. System 100 includes a male rail 120 and afemale rail 130 that may be fitted to one another to provide acontinuous rail structure, again for purposes such as protecting assetsas described above in the Background Of The Invention section of thisdocument and here between posts 110 _(P1) and 110 _(P2). As shown inFIG. 7 a, male rail 120 includes a cylindrical rail 120 _(CL) thatextends generally perpendicularly from the axis of a cylindrical hollowcuff 120 _(CF), where cuff 120 _(CF) ultimately is to be slid over andaround the outer diameter of a post such as post 110 _(P1); thus, apreferred inner diameter of cuff 120 _(CF) is 4.5 inches. Similarly,female rail 130 includes a cylindrical rail 130 _(CL) that extendsgenerally perpendicularly from the axis of a cylindrical hollow cuff 130_(CF), where cuff 130 _(CF) ultimately is to be slid over and around theouter diameter of a post such as post 110 _(P2). Preferably cylindricalrail 120 _(CL) and cylindrical rail 130 _(CL) are constructed of steeland a same outer diameter, which by way of example is within a fewinches of the diameter of posts 110 _(P1) and 110 _(P2) and, therefore,may be in the range of 2 to 3 inches, with an example being 2.5 inches.Further, the length of each rail may be the same, such as 4 feet fromits cuff to the end of its cylindrical rail portion 120 _(CL) or 130_(CL), although a different length could be manufactured for the male asopposed to the female rail.

Continuing in FIG. 7 a, male rail 120 includes a protrusion 120 _(PT),extending from an end 120 _(E) of the rail. In the preferred embodiment,protrusion 120 _(PT) is a separate cylinder that fits within and isaffixed to the inner diameter of cylindrical rail 120 _(CL), where theaffixation may be by way of welding or other manner ascertainable by oneskilled in the art. Thus, the outer diameter of protrusion 120 _(PT) inthe present example may be approximately 2.375 inches, assumingtherefore that the inner diameter of cylindrical rail 120 _(CL) isslightly larger and therefore that protrusion 120 _(PT) may be insertedand affixed into that inner diameter of rail 120 _(CL). Further, thelength of protrusion 120 _(PT) extending from end 120 _(E) is preferablythe same length to which protrusion 120 _(PT) extends within cylindricalrail 120 _(CL); in the perspective of FIG. 7 a, this extension ofprotrusion 120 _(PT) within cylindrical rail 120 _(CL) is shown by wayof dashed lines. In any event, for sake of example, assume in FIG. 7 athat protrusion 120 _(PT) extends 6 inches externally from cylindricalrail 120 _(CL) and, thus, those 6 inches of protrusion 120 _(PT) arevisible in the perspective of FIG. 7 a, and likewise thereforeprotrusion 120 _(PT) also extends 6 inches within cylindrical rail 120_(CL).

The installation of system 100 in FIGS. 7 a and 7 b is now described,with the installed product shown in FIG. 7 b. In the preferredembodiment, an installer determines the total desired length of a railto span between two posts such as posts 110 _(P1) and 110 _(P2). Forexample, assume that the installer desires a rail that spans 5 feet, 6inches. Toward this end, the installer obtains a male rail 120 and afemale rail 130 that, when combined in length from cuff to respectiveends 120 _(E) and 130 _(E) exceeds 5 feet 6 inches, such as withcylindrical rail 120 _(CL) of 2 feet (and its protrusion 120 _(PT)extending 6 inches beyond that 2 feet) and with cylindrical rail 130_(CL) of 4 feet. Next, the installer cuts female rail 130 to a length sothat its cylindrical rail 130 _(CL), when combined with the cylindricalrail 120 _(CL) of male rail 20, will total the entire desired span.Thus, in the present example wherein the desired span is 5 feet 6inches, then cylindrical rail 130 _(CL) is cut to a length of 3 feet 6inches, so that it may be combined with the 2 foot length of cylindricalrail 120 _(CL) of male rail 120 so as to span 5 feet 6 inches. Note thanany appropriate cutting device may be used given the material used toform female rail 130. Once female rail 130 is cut to the desired length,then the hollow end 130 _(E) of female rail 130 is positioned to fitaround, and slid toward, protrusion 120 _(PT) of male rail 120. Femalerail 130 and male rail 120 are then pushed together until end 120 _(E)of cylindrical rail 120 _(CL) contacts end 130 _(E) of cylindrical rail130 _(CL). While not shown in FIGS. 7 a and 7 b, a cuff comparable tothat in either FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, but sized accordingly, also may belocated on either rail prior to joining the rails to one another and tothereby cover the interface that will occur at edges 120 _(E) and 130_(E) after the rails are so connected. Thus, once the rails are sopushed together, protrusion 120 _(PT) is entirely encased and no longervisible, as it resides inside female rail 130. Moreover, with thecutting described above, then at this point cylindrical rail 120 _(CL)and cylindrical rail 130 _(CL) combine to form a continuous rail oflength 5 feet 6 inches. In any event, with the rails joined in thismanner, at this point cuffs 120 _(CF) and 130 _(CF) are slid over posts110 _(P1) and 110 _(P2), respectively. Finally, note that while notshown, preferably each such cuff 120 _(CF) and 130 _(CF) includes amechanism for fixing the cuff at a desired vertical height along itsrespective post; in a preferred embodiment, this mechanism is a setscrew or machine bolt that passes through threads formed in the cuff sothat the screw then contacts the respective post positioned within theinner diameter of the cuff, thereby affixing the cuff relative to thepost.

Given system 100, note that it shares various benefits with system 10described above and further provides a mechanism of protection betweenposts or bollards where in the prior art it is believed typically suchposts alone are used to provide protection with no structure betweensuch posts. Thus, again with the connection of a male and female rail, acontinuous metal rail is provided and great latitude is provided foron-sight installation while accommodating varying spans as may beincurred at the location desiring the installation.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of implementation of a rail system 10 perthe preferred embodiment and affixed relative to the surface SF of theground and a refrigeration case 200, such as may be implemented in agrocery department or store. The illustration of FIG. 8 is merely forcontext and is not necessarily to scale or with precise locations of theelements of system 10. In general, therefore, system 10 is shown to beconstructed and mounted relative to two aligned refrigerator cases 200 ₁and 200 ₂. Thus, near the extending corners of case 200 ₁ are locatedrespective posts 10 _(P1) and 100 _(P2) (or bollards). Also, along thewidth and length of case 200 ₁, and extending partially along the lengthof case 200 ₂ shown in the partial cutaway perspective of FIG. 8, arerails labeled 20/30, because each such rail may have a male end and afemale end or just female ends as described earlier in the document,where in any event preferably the interface between two adjoining railsis enclosed within a respective cuff X_(CF). Further, while only a fewsuch cuffs X_(CF) are shown, the number and positioning thereof may beadjusted by one skilled in the art based on various criteria, includingdesired support, length of railing, aesthetics, and the like. Lastly,for sake of context, a cart CT is shown nearby system 10 so that it maybe appreciated that if cart CT is advanced toward cases 200 ₁ and 200 ₂,it will be stopped from making contact with those cases by instead firstcontacting system 10; also in this regard, the length of the illustratedlegs X_(LG) may be selected to support the rails 20/30 at a desireddistance from surface SF (e.g., the store floor or ground) and that alsois likely to coincide with the height of the lower structure of cart CT,that is system 10 is positioned at a desirable height in an effort tolikely come in contact with cart CT before cart CT contacts case 200 ₁and 200 ₂. Lastly, note that while rails 20/30 are shown with ends nearbut not attached to posts 100P1 and 110P2, in an alternative embodimentthe inventive teachings of FIGS. 7 a and 7 b may be implemented at eachcorner or ninety degree connection, whereby either separate cuffs areused for each rail in a different dimension or a cuff is formed withrailing extending in different directions, such as with one extensionalong the width of case 200 ₁ and another extension along the length ofcase 200 ₁.

Having illustrated an example of the implementation environment ofsystem 10 in FIG. 8, the following is one set of installationinstructions for that system. First, unconnected rails are laid out infront of (or around) the item (e.g., case) to be protected. A chalk linemay be used to depict the desired position of the rails relative to thecase, such as ½ inch from the outer perimeter of the case. Next, eachleg/cuff X_(LG)/L_(CF) combination is slid onto the railing or locatedrelative to the desired railing position or chalk line, and preferablyat least one leg/cuff X_(LG)/L_(CF) is positioned 12 inches from eachrespective plug 10 _(PG). In addition, in order to cover an eventualinterface between two separate rails, an additional leg/cuff may beplanned to be positioned in the surface at the location of thatinterface, that is, so that such a cuff will eventually cover theinterface. Next, a line is traced on the surface (e.g., floor) at eachlocation into which a leg will be affixed, where the trace is around theouter perimeter of the leg support 20 _(ST). Preferably using a drill, ahole is formed into the surface at the trace location, where the depthof the hole may be approximately 3 inches or other appropriate depth toaccommodate the receptacle 40 _(RC). Next, a floor mount 40 is locatedin the drilled hole whereby the receptacle 40 _(RC), with itssurrounding anchor 40 _(AN), is fitted or struck into this hole, such asusing a rubber mallet, until the underside of the flange 40 _(FL) comesin contact with the surface. Next, any adjustments in the lengths ofrails 20/30 may be made by appropriately cutting the female end or endsof one or more rails are to obtain the desired length or span in adirection and if not already, the rails are slid inside the cuffs. Forexample, if an 8 foot male and an 8 foot female are provided, and if 15feet of combined span is desired from the rails once coupled, then onefoot is cut from the 8 foot female to create a 7 foot female, and that 7foot female is then mated with the 8 foot male, via the protrusion ofthe latter, to create a 15 foot span of railing. Finally, the cuffs areslid along the railing (if not already so located) and the bottom tipsof each leg X_(LG) are placed into respective anchor receptacles;preferably, the cuff is further attached to the rail by adjusting itsrespective set screw 20 _(SS).

From the above, it may be appreciated that the above embodiments provideuseful applications in the field of railing to protect assets. While thepresent embodiments have been described in detail, varioussubstitutions, modifications or alterations could be made to thedescriptions set forth above without departing from the inventive scope.For example, note that while only two rails are shown as adjacent to oneanother herein, more than two such rails may be joined using various ofthe described approaches either using a male female coupling or by wayof a cuff as between two females. For example, in a span of 31.5 feet,two 8 foot females and a third 7.5 foot female could be positionedlinearly and end to end with respect to one another, with cuffs couplingthe ends of the females to provide a 23.5 continuous span. Next, an 8foot male, with a 6 inch protrusion, could be joined to either end ofthe continuous female span, thereby completing the span at 31.5 feet.Naturally, where welded plugs 10 _(PG) such as shown in FIG. 6 areincluded, the non-coupling end of the male rail in this example wouldinclude such a plug as would only one end of the female that is farthestfrom the male. Still other combinations of the aspects described hereinwill be appreciated by one skilled in the art, where the inventive scopeis therefore instead depicted in the following claims.

1. A railing system, comprising: a first rail comprising an axis; asecond rail comprising an axis; a mechanism for coupling the first railto the second rail in a co-axial configuration; a first leg slidablyattached to the first rail; and a second leg slidably attached to thesecond rail, wherein the first leg and the second leg are for supportingthe first and second rails at a distance away from a surface.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1: wherein the first rail comprises a cylindrical shapeand the axis of the first rail extends along a length of the cylindricalshape of the first rail; wherein the second rail comprises a cylindricalshape and the axis of the second rail extends along a length of thecylindrical shape of the second rail.
 3. The system of claim 2 whereinthe mechanism for coupling comprises a cylindrical shape memberextending from the first rail and for mating with an interior of thesecond rail.
 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the cylindrical shapemember extends an equal distance into an interior of the first rail andaway from an end of the first rail.
 5. The system of claim 3 and furthercomprising: a first coupler for positioning in the surface and receivingan end of the first leg; and a second coupler for positioning in thesurface and receiving an end of the second leg.
 6. The system of claim 5wherein the first coupler and the second coupler comprise rubber.
 7. Thesystem of claim 5 wherein the first coupler and the second coupler eachcomprise: a receptacle for extending a length into the surface and forreceiving an end of the first leg or the second leg; and a rubber memberfor encircling an outer portion but less than an entirety of the length.8. The system of claim 2 wherein each of the first leg and the secondleg comprises: a cuff having an inner diameter for sliding along anouter diameter of the cylindrical shape of either the first rail or thesecond rail; and a member extending away from the cuff and for couplingto the surface.
 9. The system of claim 8 and further comprising meansfor affixing the cuff to the outer diameter.
 10. The system of claim 8wherein the cuff has a uniform outer diameter.
 11. The system of claim 8wherein the cuff has a first outer diameter toward a middle location anda second outer diameter, smaller than the first outer diameter, awayfrom the middle location.
 12. The system of claim 1: wherein themechanism forms an interface between the first rail and the second rail;and wherein either the first leg or the second leg comprises a memberfor covering the interface.
 13. The system of claim 12 wherein each ofthe first leg and the second leg comprises a cuff having an innerdiameter for sliding along an outer diameter of a cylindrical shape ofeither the first rail or the second rail, wherein the cuff is slidablefor covering the interface.
 14. The system of claim 1: wherein the firstrail comprises a cylindrical shape; wherein the second rail comprises acylindrical shape; wherein the co-axial configuration is between theaxis of the first rail and the axis of the second rail; and wherein themechanism for coupling comprises: a first cylindrical shape memberhaving an outer diameter less than an outer diameter of the first railand extending from the first rail and for mating with an interior of thesecond rail; and a second cylindrical shape member having an innerdiameter greater than an outer diameter of the second rail and extendingfrom the first rail and for mating with an exterior of the second rail.15. The system of claim 14 wherein the second cylindrical shape memberfurther comprises an annular ring along its inner perimeter.
 16. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein the first rail and the second rail comprisestainless steel.
 17. A railing system, comprising: a first railcomprising a cylindrical shape and having an axis; a second railcomprising a cylindrical shape and having an axis; a cylindrical shapemember having an outer diameter less than an outer diameter of the firstrail and extending from the first rail and for mating with an interiorof the second rail for coupling the first rail to the second rail in aco-axial configuration between the axis of the first rail and the axisof the second rail; a first coupler attached to the first rail; and asecond coupler attached to the second rail, wherein the first couplerand the second coupler are for supporting the first and second rails ata distance away from a surface.
 18. The system of claim 17: wherein thefirst coupler comprises a cuff for coupling the first rail to a firstmember in a generally perpendicular relationship between the first railand the first member; and wherein the second coupler comprises a cufffor coupling the second rail to a second member in a generallyperpendicular relationship between the second rail and the secondmember.
 19. The system of claim 18 wherein each of the first member andthe second member comprise a post affixed to the surface.
 20. A railingsystem, comprising: a first rail comprising a cylindrical shape andhaving an axis; a second rail comprising a cylindrical shape and havingan axis; a cylindrical shape member having an outer diameter less thanan outer diameter of the first rail and extending from the first railand for mating with an interior of the second rail for coupling thefirst rail to the second rail in a co-axial configuration between theaxis of the first rail and the axis of the second rail; a first legattached to the first rail; and a second leg attached to the secondrail, wherein the first leg and the second leg are for supporting thefirst and second rails at a distance away from a surface.
 21. A methodof constructing a railing system, comprising: removing a portion of ahollow end of a first rail, the first rail having an axis; coupling thehollow end to a cylindrical shape member extending from a second rail,the second rail having an axis, such that first rail is aligned with thesecond rail in a co-axial configuration between the axis of the firstrail and the axis of the second rail; sliding a first leg to a firstposition relative to the first rail and fixing the first leg in thefirst position; sliding a second leg to a second position relative tothe second rail and fixing the second leg in the second position; andaffixing the first leg and the second leg to a surface.